Avery drew the Arts & Crafts card this week. At first I thought this was going to be some crafty outing but once I flipped the card over and read about Tree Studios I couldn’t have been more wrong. Tree Studios was built in 1894 by Judge Lambert Tree so Chicago artists had an affordable place to work, it’s located at State & Ohio and takes up half the block, the remaining half is the Medinah Temple, which is a stunning building and houses Bloomingdales Home Store! Tree Studios is a two story building which is a rare find in downtown Chicago, it deservedly received landmark status in 1997 & 2001.

I’m sure many of you have walked by this architectural gem many times and assumed it was just retail stores. And while this is true there is also the Ivy Room, renovated spaces for artists, restaurants, and a beautiful courtyard, I had no idea! I was really hoping to check out the courtyard but could not get access to it. Here are a couple pics I snapped through the back windows of Grahamwich. A peaceful retreat in the middle of a bustling city…Can’t you just imagine artists gazing out their studio windows for inspiration!
Of course, we stopped for a little lunch, and I highly recommend Grahamwich. It’s small space with amazing food!

Even though our trip was a bit of a bust, not being able to get into Tree Studios or the courtyard, at least we had a delicious lunch and saw some beautiful architecture.

The fun thing about drawing these cards at random is exploring places I may have never really noticed and learning a bit of Chicago history in the process. Always a good reminder to take in your surroundings, you never know what may be hiding around the corner!